UPDATE 25th July - I'm afraid there will be no chapter 98 today (25th July) as my dog Kali has been badly hurt. Hit by the postman's car this morning and had her jaw ripped open. She's already at the vet as I write this - obviously the first thing I did - and I'm too stressed and panicky over waiting for any news to write today. Sorry and thanks for your understanding.

Cover Art: Z-ComiX

Chapter 97

Qrow carried the captured Arcanist over his shoulder like a sack of meat. That left Ruby to collect and carry all their supplies, including three Arcanum, several books and three bags looped around her back. It made for heavy work. Luckily, the Grimm remained as sparse as they had on the way out, either drawn back or lessened in number enough that they faced no opposition. Not enough that the wildlife had returned, however. The outskirts were unnaturally still and quiet, only the odd rustling of a branch of frantic flapping of wings denoting any life at all.

As they walked and as they left the dead bodies far behind, Ruby found her eyes fixing on the back of the unconscious Arcanist's head as it flopped and bobbed on Qrow's back. What could drive someone to use the Grimm against their own home? Even if you had a way to control them, what purpose would it serve in destroying an entire city? Practically an entire empire. If they disagreed with the way the Collegium was run, then fine – she could understand that. Killing all of those innocent people, however? It was too much to imagine, and the depth and breadth of her lies of having come from there felt heavy indeed. Guilt wormed its way into her stomach.

Fear as well. Though Qrow had said he would never turn on her, and though she believed it to some degree, the cold and calculated way he'd dispatched of those Rogue Arcanists showed how the White would treat her. They wouldn't care if she was from Vale, if she loved the city, if she had family there or how little she wanted to hurt anyone. They would strike first and hard, and if she even attempted to defend herself, their efforts to capture her alive would cease.

But then she'd known that, hadn't she? She'd seen the White's mercy when Adam, after saving them all in the Archives, surrendered and came under a vicious barrage of spellfire. No one there cared for what his intentions were, only what he could do.

It brought an important question. Did she want to stay in the Collegium?

Sooner or later, with any luck, the Grimm would be dealt with and Vale would be safe. Then, she wouldn't have nearly so many opportunities to vent her surges. She'd done well to stay hidden for close to a year, but would that last ten? Twenty? Thirty? The secret was bound to come out sooner or later. Hell, she'd already had it discovered by Merlot and Qrow, both of whom thankfully proved uncaring of the Collegium's rules. Not everyone would be that blasé about it.

She considered asking Qrow and then thought twice. He was as silent as the grave, and she didn't think he – or she – were ready to talk right now. They treaded on in silence, the limp form bouncing on the older man's back and leaves crunching underfoot.

When they reached the empty clearing, Ruby knew not to be so empty, they were forced to wait. Whether Weiss or Maria saw them first she didn't know, but Maria didn't seem prepared to let the illusions fall. Weiss walked out of nothingness, looked behind her and then shrugged and strolled up to them. She looked tired but satisfied. Also nervous, but with a thrill of excitement she was clearly doing her best to conceal. Weiss was not good at it.

"I see your mission went well," she said on spotting Qrow's burden. "You weren't hurt, were you?"

Ruby shook her head.

"Is something wrong? You're so quiet."

Qrow coughed and hefted the man further up his shoulder. "We should go," he said, voice thick and gravelly. "This one could wake up any moment and I'd rather not have to put him under again."

"O-Oh. Yes. Of course. Fare you well, Lady Calavera-"

"Maria!" an old and irritated voice returned.

"Lady Maria Calavera," Weiss compromised. There was an air of amusement to the way she did it, as if it were some joke on her part. "I will look forward to our enlightened conversations in the future."

No response this time. Ruby wondered, she really did, but there were bigger, more important things to focus on and Qrow set the pace without waiting for her or Weiss to be ready. It was left to them to chase and catch up, Weiss struggling to maintain his gruelling pace over slippery rocks, mossy logs and thick, overgrown bramble bushes.

"How did it go?" Weiss whispered to her.

"We weren't hurt," Ruby replied. There was more she wanted to say, but it was so quiet that anything she did would be heard. Later, she mouthed, making a quick gesture with one hand. Weiss frowned but nodded, quickly changing subject.

"We should spend some time with Pyrrha once we're back. If Lady Goodwitch is going to send us out like this, we ought to learn more offensive spells. There weren't any Grimm this time but that won't always be the case."

"Hmhm. Sure."

Annoyed at the short answer, Weiss rolled her eyes. "Lady Calavera and I discussed the Collegium and the various Arcana," she said. "Did you know she was once a member of the Azure? Emerald, too. That's a surprise. I always thought most Rogues would come from the more active Arcana. We talked about my future options as well. It was quite enlightening-"

"Discussing Collegium business with a Rogue Arcanist isn't something you should be admitting to." Qrow's interruption was curt and gruff. "It can get you in a heap of trouble."

Weiss flinched. "Oh no, no, no," she assured him. "It was nothing wrong we spoke of. Lady Calavera was just advising me to look at the Amber or Black for my second Arcana; how a more open-ended second choice would help alleviate boredom-"

"The White won't care what you discussed with her, only that you did." His words made Weiss' shoulders tense up. He did not stop there. "The threat of a White Arcanist being compromised by a Rogue is too great to risk on harmless advice. You'd be interviewed, stripped of your duties and monitored for years to come. Any foot stepped out of line will see you brought in for questioning."

"I… but…" Weiss would have been better to stay silent but could not help trying to defend herself. "But I would never betray the Collegium. Never."

Qrow stared ahead and harrumphed. "Better safe than sorry. Especially in times like these."

Ruby slid up and bumped an elbow against Weiss' in a silent show of solidarity. She wasn't sure if it helped or not, for Weiss remained unusually quiet the rest of the way back. Much like the forest itself, and the once loud and bustling farms outside the wall, and the now abandoned mass graveyard that was the slums.

/-/

Their prisoner was taken from them by an entourage of Arcanists from the White and Red, including several Huntsmen, faces emotionless and eyes vacant. They were herded through the streets and back into the Collegium, then bustled up to Glynda's offices once more. The woman stood up as they entered, a rare smile blooming.

"Well done!" she congratulated them. "Bringing back a prisoner will hopefully shed some light on these people and their twisted aims. I will personally interrogate her tonight."

"I want to be there." Qrow said.

"If you wish it, you may attend." Goodwitch's stern eyes fell on them. "Not these two, however. You have both done well but this is important business. Qrow's rank, and his hand in capturing her, allow him entry. You both have some ways to go before reaching that authority. Though," she added, smiling once more, "If you continue as you have, I'm sure it will only be a matter of time."

Ruby wanted to ask if they would be told the results but decided against it. Better to ask Qrow in private, because Goodwitch would only say they did not need to. "Thank you," Ruby said demurely, dipping her head. "May we be dismissed?"

"One moment." Lady Goodwitch held up a hand. "Lady Schnee, how did your own task go? I trust you were able to meet again with Maria. Did she welcome you into her home?"

"Yes Lady Goodwitch."

"And were you invited to visit again?"

"I was, Lady Goodwitch."

"Excellent. Opening dialogue with her will be valuable, especially when she dies. It will be your job then to destroy her research, or you may request assistance in the matter." As if only just thinking it, she asked, "What did Maria have to say?"

"Hmm. What?"

"What was the nature of your discourse?"

"Oh. W-Well, I wasn't sure what to talk to her about, so I focused on my family, Vale and the past. I told her about the Schnee family and when a little on my time in the Collegium. Meeting Ruby, joining the White and such."

It seemed she'd taken Qrow's warnings to heart even if she wasn't sure how realistic they were. Better safe than sorry. There was no mention of discussing Maria's past or magic of any nature.

"Hmm. A fine starting point. Is that all?"

"Yes, Lady Goodwitch," she said, lying far better than she had with them. "I did not know what subjects she would find interesting, and you did not give me anything to specifically learn. I thought talking about our families would be safer."

"A wise choice. I may give you certain things to dig for in future but building your relationship with her is more important for now. You are both dismissed. Qrow, stay if you wish to take part in the interrogation." She was already standing, eyes hard. "I believe we ought to see to that sooner rather than later."

Qrow nodded, grunted and waved them off. Ruby was only too happy to leave, and Weiss to follow. They all but raced out Glynda's office, and then even further, out the White Cathedral and down onto the lawns of the Collegium.

Weiss looked conflicted and desperate to speak, but Ruby shushed her and took them both to a quiet corner overshadowed by the mighty walls. The shade, and the few trees there, provided privacy enough for them to sit in the grass comfortably. Weiss looked reluctant at first, then seemed to recall she was in her riding gear and took a more graceful kneeling position, feet off to the side.

It was early – they'd missed a whole night's sleep and would need to catch up. For now, however, she knew that neither of them would be able to. Weiss was practically bursting to speak and wasted no time.

"Do you think he was right? Would I have been in trouble?"

"Probably." Ruby replied.

"Why? How?" she demanded. "I was specifically told to speak with Maria. How could someone fault me for doing my job?"

"Merlot and I were told to go in and out the Archives. But when we came out with a Wildmage that saved our lives, even though we would have died without him, the White treated us with suspicion."

It was testament to how nervous Weiss was that she didn't insist he be called `Lord` Merlot like usual. "That's ridiculous. Why? You did not work with him."

"I was upset that Glynda had everyone attack him after he saved our lives. He even surrendered and told us that he would do that ahead of time. There was no need to attack him like that."

"If he promised to surrender then I don't disagree. What is the issue?"

"Lady Goodwitch…" Ruby spat the title, "-didn't like it when I told her it was brutal and unfair. I didn't get punished for it because it was only an opinion, but if she would step in to control an opinion from someone who wasn't even an Arcanist at that point, then it shouldn't surprise you if she'd do the same to stop you potentially learning something you're not supposed to."

Weiss looked agonised. Her lower lip was caught between her teeth and her eyes were wide. "C-Can I trust you to keep a secret?"

"Yep."

"I'm serious!"

"As am I." Ruby said. "I won't tell anyone."

"R-Right." Weiss looked around again to make sure no one was within earshot, then lowered her voice as well. "Lady Calavera taught me some magic." Ruby's eyes widened. "Not necromancy!" Weiss was quick to hiss. "Healing magic. Emerald Arcana. I… I thought it would be okay because it's not forbidden. It's the exact same things taught to Emerald Arcanists."

Ruby leaned forward. "Did you learn any? Can you teach me?"

Weiss returned her naked excitement with an equally pleased smile. That they both shared the fascination helped calm her down. "I was barely able to learn enough, certainly not to teach it. It's so complicated. The control required, the mental focus. I was tasked with healing a cut inflicted on an already dead animal and even that was difficult. I can't imagine how hard it would be doing it to a living human, not with the risk of harming them weighing on my mind."

Definitely out the reach of her wildmagic then. That was a shame. Healing would have been useful if she did decide to live outside Vale with Yang. They could have set up in some village with Ruby posing as a herbalist and doctor. No one would turn someone like that away.

"I'm just worried." Weiss went on. "Now that I know how the White will look on such things, will they see my learning healing from Maria as a sign of guilt? Will they stop me just because they're afraid I might become interested in necromancy? I won't!" she insisted. "It's disgusting and wrong and evil."

"I believe you. I do." Ruby had to place her hand on Weiss' arm, and she felt the girl shaking. "A-And even if you did, I wouldn't care," she said, taking a small risk and judging Weiss' reaction.

Alarm, fear, but also a little relief. She didn't think Weiss was interested in forbidden magics, but she appreciated the gesture all the same. Maybe you'll even forgive my secret, Ruby thought. If I ever feel brave enough to tell you.

"I… I wouldn't… but thank you…" Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to settle herself. "I was just curious and… and what else was I meant to do? Sit there for hours on end boring myself? Maria knows plenty of magic that isn't wrong. I could learn this in the Collegium if I wanted. I don't think I will. Maria said I should look at the Amber or Black."

"You said that before."

"Yes." Weiss nodded distractedly, almost rambling at this point. "She said how her choices led her to becoming a Rogue because there was little left to hold her attention. Boredom. Maria learned all there was to learn and was then limited by her Arcana."

"Healing and secrets." Ruby said. "I guess once you know how to heal a person, there's nothing left to learn. As for secrets, maybe it was her research that was deemed illegal."

If, like Emerald and Ren, she dabbled in things she was not supposed to – like life and death – the White would send an investigator down to talk with her. Maybe Maria had run away with the research before they could wipe it from her mind like they did Emerald.

Could Ren or Emerald have gone the same way and turned rogue? Emerald, maybe. Ruby could see her love for her mother and desperation to save her pushing her into it. She was less sure about Ren. He was passionate about his research, but mostly in the sense any Azure Arcanist or Initiate was. He would stubbornly defend it, but if threatened with becoming a Rogue Arcanist, he'd reluctantly give it up.

And didn't that say enough about how things were run? An entire Arcana that was supposed to be a place to freely research and discover secrets was being stifled on what secrets they could discover, when they were allowed to, what they were permitted to research and in what ways. They'd even had the Azure Archives taken off them because it was too much of a risk, and the last she'd seen of that was her own invention, the Rubricator, being used to find `troubling books` for the White to burn.

There was control, there was caution, and then there was blind fear. Maybe the White had once upon a time been a benign Arcana protecting their way of life, but now it was starting to feel like a frightened bully destroying everything it didn't understand.

And here they both were, a part of it.

"Beginning to regret joining them?" Ruby asked.

"A little." Weiss glanced around nervously, afraid to even admit that much. "It's too late for such thoughts. What's done is done. I'm not going to stop learning from Maria, though. It's my choice and I'm doing nothing wrong. Healing magic could save my or someone else's life in the future. And I want to learn it. I want to learn from her."

"I don't blame you."

"Really?" Weiss turned to her desperately. "You don't?"

"I'd want to learn it as well. The White doesn't need to know."

"Precisely. They do not…" Weiss swallowed. "What they do not know cannot harm them." Even admitting that looked painful for her. "Their caution isn't warranted here. I won't become a threat to the Collegium. I won't become a Rogue Arcanist. I…" Weiss sighed and wiped a hand down her face. "I'm tired and rambling. It's been quite the day, hasn't it? Do you want to go rest?"

"Can we grab some food first?" Ruby whined, stomach rumbling.

"You and your stomach!" Weiss said with a relieved and happy laugh. "Very well. I wouldn't want you to start gnawing your own hand off. Food, a bath and then sleep. In that order."

"As your highness commands!"

It was perhaps better Weiss remain ignorant of just how Qrow dispatched two Rogues, or how that was the norm for the White Arcana. The knowledge would just make sleep even harder to find.

/-/

Banging at the door woke Ruby up. Weiss as well. It was loud and insistent, enough so that even though Ruby rolled over and decided to ignore it all, Weiss could not do the same. Growling, the white-haired girl crawled out in her nightgown and stormed over to the doorway, yanking it half open and shouting through, "Do you have any idea what- L-Lord Qrow! What are you doing here?"

Qrow? Ruby raised her head, yawned and pulled her sheets over herself. Qrow could wait. The world could wait.

"Our captive broke," Qrow said. "But not before we extracted what we needed. I figured the two of you might want to hear about that, since it may well be our job to enact it."

"Yes. Of course. Come in – actually, can you give us a few minutes to make ourselves appropriate?"

"I'll wait outside."

"Thank you." Closing the door, Weiss came back in, all business and wakefulness. Ruby groaned as she felt the warm sheets be ripped off her body. "Wake up. Up, Ruby. Lord Qrow has come to speak with us. Please get dressed before you embarrass yourself."

"M'tired…"

"It's light out and we need to get back into proper sleeping habits." Ruby felt herself be sat up. She tried to fall back, but Weiss wouldn't let her. A white robe was pulled down over her head. "He said the prisoner broke. I wonder what that means. You don't suppose the White condones torture, do you?"

"Probably…"

"Ruby!"

"What? They probably do." Yawning, she pushed her arms through the sleeves, then collapsed back onto her bed fully dressed. "M'ready. Let him in."

"Goodness. You'll never attract a suitable marriage like that."

"My loss." Ruby waved a hand. "Let him in."

Once Weiss was suitably dressed, and much more awake than Ruby, she went back and opened the door for Qrow again, smiling like a gracious host and inviting him inside. Even going to fetch him a glass of clear water from a jug kept on the nearby table.

Qrow sipped half and casually upended the rest over Ruby's half-asleep face. She squawked and lurched up, swinging a fist for his arm that he avoided with a lazy grin.

"You son of a whore!" she screeched.

"RUBY ROSE!" Weiss gasped.

"My mother was a fine noble lady, actually." Qrow said between laughter. "And you're awake now. I'm not going to repeat this twice for your sleepy ass. Unless you missed it, the prisoner broke."

"I didn't miss it," Ruby hissed, wringing out her hair. "The White tortured him to insanity or something. Go figure."

"Not torture. They don't need that with magic. He was… induced into a less-than-mentally-sound state, quite literally poisoned into being drunk out of his mind, except with far more dangerous substances than ale. This was after he refused to talk of course."

"Some kind of truth serum?" Weiss asked.

"No. Truth is relative and unreliable. One man's trust is another's lie and all that. This is more reducing inhibitions. Cutting off important functions like loyalty or higher thinking. I said drunk before and that fits. The man was out of his mind, rambling and babbling without knowing what he was saying." Qrow's face twisted into a grimace. By the looks of it he was giving them the nice version of events. "It's not something used often. It quite literally rots the brain. Not even Emerald magic could heal the damage caused."

"Disgusting." Ruby spat.

"T-This is not commonplace, right?" Weiss asked. "They would not use that on just anyone!"

"Of course not. Only necessary cases. Usually time-sensitive ones like this. I've not seen it used in all the time I've been alive, and I won't expect to see it again." Under his breath he added, "At least I hope so. He's destined for the Sanctum now, though I don't think he'll care. If he's lucky he's dead, and not trapped in his own body, an insane wreck of a human being."

Ruby shivered. "Did they learn anything to make that worth it?"

"Yes."

Good. Or was it? Did the fact they got information make it worth the methods, or would it have been better for them if it hadn't? A wake-up call for the White Arcana. It probably wouldn't have been. They'd have just sent her and Qrow out again to try and capture another.

"Realise this is not to be shared," he continued. "Goodwitch likely suspects I'll tell you and knows she can't stop me, but she can certainly step in if you mention it to anyone. Not even to your friends, okay?"

"Understood, Lord Qrow."

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm serious, Ruby." Qrow stressed her name. "Not to anyone."

"Okay. Okay. I won't."

Maybe just to Yang and Blake.

"The Grimm are being controlled," Qrow said slowly. "We all but knew that but now we have confirmation. What's more interesting is that they are being controlled by one person, and this is being done via an artefact from the Mage Wars. A sceptre by the sounds of it, though we can't rule out that's a trick used by the one in charge, a red herring. Either way, there is some artefact allowing him to give the Grimm rudimentary orders. Things like move here, wait and attack. Anything more isn't possible."

"That's good, right?" Ruby asked. "Then we just need to steal the artefact and we're done."

"It's both good and bad. Good because, as you say, their control is contingent on them having this item, and because it's not a magical spell or something that can be taught to multiple people. It's bad because magic takes time to pass on, and this does not. There's no single person to kill and be done with it. So long as the artefact remains in their hands, Vale is in danger."

"The White are going to try and reclaim it surely," Weiss said. "Lady Goodwitch must be planning an attack at this very moment."

Qrow's face said otherwise.

"They're not!?" Weiss asked, confused.

"It's not so easy. The person who has it is masked, and the captive didn't know their face or name. That's not such a problem, but they also don't know where he or she resides, only that they are surrounded by Grimm and constantly gathering more for the next attacks. Our best chance is going to come when the Grimm are fully engaged with the city. Since he can only give rudimentary orders, there's next to no way to order a retreat once the Grimm are fighting. Glynda wants to use that against them, leaving most of our forces here defending the city and keeping the Grimm busy, then sending a small, elite team outside the walls to find and deal with the Arcanists."

That sounded reasonable enough. What did not was what Qrow had mentioned before, about them maybe being sent out. "We're not elite." Ruby said. "We're the opposite of elite. We barely know any spells."

"We would not be on said elite team." Qrow said.

"Good." Ruby breathed out. "That'd just be dumb otherwise."

"What we will be doing is risking our lives finding the Arcanist's camp during a Grimm attack so that the elite team can attack without wasting time. We are the expendable scouts, and since we have had such luck before, Glynda wants us going again. All three of us."

Ruby exploded. "Why!? Why all three? You and me I could understand, but why Weiss?"

"E-Excuse me? I am no less pleased than you, but why am I singled out?"

Qrow knew. She was a Wildmage and could defend herself easily, but Weiss was not. Weiss quite literally was the amateur her experience suggested, while Ruby was only pretending to know so few spells. It would be fine if it were just him and her but sending Weiss along with them made so little sense.

"I have no idea why she wants her along." Qrow said. "Though I expect Lady Goodwitch will pull her aside and explain why in private." He eyed Weiss. "Probably because she doesn't trust me and wants a spy."

"A-As if I would spy on anyone!" Weiss argued.

"You mean you're not on Maria…?"

"I… well… that is different! Maria is a Rogue Arcanist, while Ruby is my best friend, and you are her teacher."

Qrow shrugged as if to say he wasn't the one suggesting she was untrustworthy. Ruby doubted it would calm her any, especially if she was asked to split her loyalties.

It doesn't cost the White much to have us scout. If it succeeds, they sweep in and end the Grimm threat. If it doesn't, they can go back to defending the city. It made sense not to commit the best of the best early, or the city could fall for nothing gained. Better to have the weaker Arcanists who can't fight try and find the bad guys. We're no use in the defence anyway.

She understood the reasoning, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"We're expendable, then."

"Pretty much." Qrow said. "Me for my opinions and the fact I'm not all that well liked, and the two of you because you're still new. You especially," he said to her, "Because Menagerie is gone, and you don't have any powerful family breathing down their necks."

Weiss looked bothered by that. Likely the idea her family wasn't considered important enough to worry about. If she died in the Collegium's service, they would just say she did her duty and ignore any reprisals from the Schnee family. After all, they were compromised by merchant blood and disliked by a lot of the other Houses as a result.

"This will save Vale though, won't it?" Ruby asked. "If we find this person and the White kill him, Vale will be safe."

"Once the remaining Grimm are rounded up, yes. They won't be able to gather more and the Grimm in the forest will go wild and attack anyone, even the other rogues. That's about the best we can hope for."

It was worth it then. Despite the risk, despite the way their lives were so easily thrown away, it was worth it for a chance to put a stop to this and prevent Vale becoming another Menagerie. Worth it to protect Yang, Blake, Weiss, Pyrrha, Jaune and everyone else she cared about.

"When do we go?"

"Whenever the next attack starts. We can't plan for that, but it should be a few days at least. They need to gather their forces again." Standing, Qrow added, "I may have us swing by and ask Maria for a little help. You'll have to keep that between us," he said to Weiss. "If Goodwitch finds out, she'll intervene. At this point we'll need all the help we can get however, even that of a necromancer."

"I-I agree." Weiss stammered, still offended at the idea she would betray them at all. "And I have no qualms with Lady Calavera or her assistance. If it's for the greater good of Vale, I say we take anyone we can with us."

"Not a bad idea. Shame the White won't turn out the Sanctum to help. There's a lot of heavy-hitters in there that could make the defence a whole lot safer." He purposefully didn't look at her as he said that. "Slap a Wildmage or two on the walls and we could have fought off the first attack without giving up the slums. And we have at least two in there."

Weiss bit her lip. "I… Would that have been a possibility…?"

"In an ideal world? Sure. But the White would rather sacrifice an entire district and tens of thousands of lives than let their authority be broken. The Sanctum remains closed – and will remain closed even as the city burns down around our ears."

Weiss had nothing to say to that. Nor did Ruby.

Next Chapter: 25th July

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